At Least One Slow Song
by Juliet Spree
Summary: Plz REVIEW! Sharpay is untouchable, or so she thought. She changes her whole life and then an issue arises: Gabriella. Sharpay/Troy and a little Gabriella/Troy. NOT BASED on movie plot. Troy is a year younger than Sharpay and Ryan, as is Gabriella. Everyone else is the same age. OOC
1. Chapter 1

**At Least One Slow Song**

**Written by Juliet Spree**

At Least One Slow Song

_October 21, 2007_

…_Today at school there was so much drama about the homecoming dance. Who's going with who, who stole whose date, what's happening with whose hair. Yuck. The whole thing is sickening. I am never going to any dances. Today made it official._

_April 13, 2008_

_All the girls in my class are going prom dress shopping this weekend. They're all talking about which dress they are getting and how much money it costs. I am so glad I don't have to worry about that. The way I see it is that if you don't go to dances your life is stress-free. You could sell every girl's prom dress in my class and pay for a first year of college._

_November 6, 2009_

_At church today they announced that there is going to be a dance next Saturday. I don't understand why they always have to plan dances as activities. Everyone always tells me I need to go and I always give the same answer: I am NEVER going to a dance! Not at school, not at church, not even at my wedding. NEVER! Why do people feel the need to stand up in front of an audience and rock back and forth to slow songs with the opposite sex? It's so dumb._

_November 20, 2009_

_Today at church everyone was talking about the dance. Troy looked at me and asked me why I never go to dances and I told him it's just awkward to me. He said I should at least _try_ going to one someday…._

Sharpay tossed her head back carelessly and started laughing out loud. "Yep. That is _still_ not too far off," she said as she flipped monotonously through her journal.

She remembered writing this entry, because Troy never talked to her and she had never talked to him; therefore she was surprised when Troy asked her about the topic she hated so much.

Troy Bolton. Where to begin? When Sharpay first saw him he was just the same as the other boys: too tall for his age, and had plain brown eyes. His hair was short, light brown and flipped up a little in the front. Sharpay was not very impressed with him back then.

Troy had moved to the area when Sharpay was thirteen years old, making Troy twelve. He was quiet at first and seemed respectable. However, at twelve years old boys are still boys. Troy's childish, immature ways drove Sharpay crazy. She really _was_ excited to have a new guy around, but then he just had to be immature. Sharpay went out of her way most days to make her irritation with Troy's personality extremely obvious to everyone else.

But now Troy was one of the most attractive people Sharpay knew. His height fit his age, he wore a farmer's tan and his eyes had become a beautiful mix of auburn and gold. He was really turning into a gentleman. He was always watching for a girl needing a seat, or a girl needing assistance. Troy's good looks and personality made him the walking definition of Sharpay's dream boy.

Troy had a lot of friends, and the number was growing every minute. One might say he was the most popular kid at church, school, anywhere. Sharpay had turned sixteen about a year ago and finally was allowed to date. Since Troy had grown up a little, he had become even dreamier than he was before. But since Sharpay had made her hatred toward Troy for the past three years extremely obvious, Troy didn't even look at or talk to Sharpay.

Sharpay flipped to a clean page in her journal, grabbed her pen and started writing.

_June 4, 2010_

_Last day of school! Oh man…I've ended another chapter. I am going to be a senior classman in only 3 months. I haven't really done a whole lot in my life, either. That totally needs to change for my senior year. I need to make the most of things; get more involved at church and at school with things BESIDES music!_

_ Speaking of getting more involved, I heard that there is going to be a day camp up in Sawnville in early August. There will be around 3,000 guys and girls there, and a huge choir. I should go…even though there will be a dance. I am not dancing. I refuse. I can get out of it somehow! I always get out of things like that._

…_._


	2. Chapter 2

"Announcements?" asked Sharpay. She always had to conduct during the Youth get-togethers.

"Yes, I have an announcement about the day camp in August!" Taylor yelled.

Sharpay sighed hard and stared at the calendar on the back wall. "It's only June 20th , Taylor," Sharpay thought. "Taylor has a quick announcement," she muttered.

"If you are going to camp in August, you need to be coming to the choir practices every Sunday night. You need to learn the songs because everyone will be singing at the camp." Taylor sounded like she had rehearsed this a thousand times. "There were only five people at the last rehearsal, and that's just unacceptable…"

"Okay…" Sharpay cut Taylor off. "Be at choir practice tonight at six. Anything else?" Sharpay looked around the room to see if anyone was raising their hand, and then continued. "Alright then…split for classes!"

…

"Welcome to choir practice," said the choir director. "Thank you all for coming! It's nice to see so many new faces. Please get more of your friends to come…especially some more young men!"

Sharpay filed that request in the back of her mind and started singing. Choir practice lasted for an hour. Sharpay set her sheet music on the shiny, black piano, and walked down from the stage. She spotted her Aunt Chris sitting in the back row of chairs and walked over to say hello.

"Hey, Chris," Sharpay sighed as she plopped down next to her aunt.

"Hey, Sharpay. You guys sounded great! Hey, are you and Ryan registered for youth camp yet?"

"Nah, not yet. I don't know if I, I mean, we are going for sure." The thought of the dance was still weighing on her mind. "Who do I know that's going?"

"Let's see…" Chris said as she scrolled down the list of names on her laptop. "Here's the list so far: Taylor McKessie, Kelsi Neilsen, Chad Danforth, Zeke Baylor and Troy Bolton..." Chris looked up at me. "Were Troy or Chad at practice tonight?"

"Um, no they weren't. But I can text Troy and see if they are planning on coming to the next practice." Sharpay didn't have Troy's number, but she didn't mind using this as an excuse to get it.

"Okay. Thanks, then just let me know what he says," Chris said, directed more at her computer than at Sharpay.

"Yes!" Sharpay thought. She immediately pulled out her phone and texted Zeke.

Sharpay: _Hey Zeke…do u have Troy's cell #?_

She started biting her nails…she just wanted Troy's number She knew Zeke would respond but did _not _want Zeke to pry into her business and start a long conversation by asking why she needed it. She felt her phone buzz and opened the text.

Zeke: _Yeah its 208-595-1357 :) _

Sharpay: _Thanks ttyl_

"Ok. Deep breaths. Here we go," Sharpay said as she typed Troy's number in her contact list. Then she pulled up the texting screen and typed her message.

Sharpay: _Hey Troy…r u and Chad going to be in the Youth Conference Choir? _

Sharpay pushed send, then put her hand to her mouth again and began to bite. She was trying to break this habit, but was too nervous to resist the urge right now.

"Come on, Sharpay. Let's get going," Sharpay looked at her brother, who was on his way out with the car keys in hand.

"Alright I'm coming." Troy hadn't texted back yet. Sharpay could not believe how nervous she was feeling! For being a very well put together girl, she was losing her confidence pretty fast. All she had asked was if he was coming to choir or not.

…..

It had been at least sixteen hours since Sharpay had texted Troy. She checked her phone again: still nothing. "_Alright. This could mean a couple things. Either Zeke gave me the wrong number or…" _Sharpay didn't get to finish her thought, because she was interrupted by the familiar buzzing of her phone. She looked down at the screen and saw who it was from: Troy Bolton! "Yessssss!" she screamed. She opened the message immediately.

Troy: _First off, who is this?_

Sharpay laughed and texted back: _ It's Sharpay Evans. _She got an immediate response.

Troy: _Oh hey! Ironic that you should txt me 2day…_

Sharpay: _y? _

Troy: _today is my 16__birthday ;) just ironic I guess_

Sharpay was surprised he thought that was so ironic Was it because he was "available" to date now? Was he implying something?

Sharpay: _HAPPY BIRTHDAY! And I still don't get y that's ironic lol_

Sharpay figured a little bit of pushing for an answer couldn't hurt. She was after all Sharpay Evans, and she deserved an answer!

Troy: _because I can date now so it's just funny. We never talk and the day I become "dateable" u txt me. Funny._

Sharpay: _oh. Gotcha ;) well anyway, so r u and Chad gonna sing in the choir?_

Troy: _nah idk. I'm not really into the whole singing thing ;)_

Sharpay: _haha what can I bribe u with 2 get u 2 come?_

"Did you just offer to bribe Troy Bolton? What are you thinking?" Sharpay asked herself.

Troy: _I don't take bribes ;)_

…


	3. Chapter 3

"Sharpay, have you decided if you are going to go to Youth Conference yet?" Taylor said, pouncing over to Sharpay. "I really want you to go!"

"I don't know, Taylor! I really hate dancing, and that dance will last, like, four hours."

"Dances are so much fun though. Anyway, you better decide before the day is over, because your money is due today for bus and meal fees," Taylor said.

"Oh, okay," Sharpay sighed. She walked with heavy feet into her mom's classroom. "Mom, we need to turn in money for that youth day-night camp thing."

"Since when are you interested in going to that?" Sharpay's mom said suspiciously.

"Since I realized that I am almost a senior in high school and I have done _nothing_ with my life," Sharpay said matter-of-factly. She looked her mom right in the eye, knowing that the real reason she was going was for the slight chance that Troy would notice anything about her.

"Okay," her mom said. "How much for you and your brother?"

"Just twenty dollars," Sharpay said as she looked at her nails carelessly.

"Alright. Here you go. Turn it in. Make sure they know it's for you and Ryan."

"Thanks." Sharpay took the money and headed down the hall toward her teacher. The blue carpeted hallway seemed endless as she walked through what seemed like millions of people. Was she really going to go to this conference?

She made a split second of eye contact with Troy. When he smiled at her, she knew the answer to her question was yes.

…

_August 4, 2010_

_ Ahh! My birthday was great. I got to redo my room! It's all decked out in black and pink. Anyway, 17 years old now. Crazy stuff. Seems like just yesterday I turned 16. It's amazing how much older I feel!_

_ So that means senior year starts soon. I'm so stoked though. Can't wait to see all my friends again, and not to mention being at the top of the totem pole at school!_

_Youth Camp is in 2 days. I am dreading it. But at least I can say that I went to something extra curricular that wasn't totally music involved, right? _

_Anyway, gotta go now. I have to clean my room!_

Sharpay closed her worn journal and thought about what she had just written. "Only two days until the dance. Great." She still hadn't figured a way to get out of it. Sharpay heard the vibration of her phone against the hard wood floor in her newly painted bedroom. She sighed and leaned over to get her phone out of her pristine white purse. She looked at the screen: Troy Bolton. She smiled, and opened the text.

Troy: _Hey_

Sharpay: _Hey lol so u excited for camp?_

Troy: _Heck yes! u?_

Sharpay: _Not really…u excited for the dance?_

Troy: _Haha yeah, and so are u!_

Sharpay: _No. not quite ;]_

Troy: _What? Come on :)_

Sharpay: _Im serious. I am still goin 2 find a way 2 get out of it_

Troy: _Wow. Fail…sadness_

Sharpay: _ha, why fail? and why sadness? Everyone got along fine without me there b4_

Troy: _Its still a fail. and sadness. u should dance at least one slow song with me_

Sharpay' stomach formed into the tightest knot she had ever felt. "Oh my gosh. Troy just…oh my gosh," she thought. She realized she was smiling ear to ear and immediately covered her lips with her hand, but continued smiling. Sharpay felt a million different emotions: giddy, confused, even scared. She did not know how to dance! Then all her teenage emotions were replaced by panic. She texted Troy back.

Sharpay: _Seriously? me? why? Troy, I don't even know how to dance!_

Troy: _It is sooooo not hard. all u do is like sway back and forth. not hard at all. and don't even worry I can teach u. And because u need to learn ;) _

Sharpay: _ya right..in front of everyone?_

Troy: _well ya, it's so not a big deal_

Sharpay: _I feel sick._

Troy: _why? Sharpay, it is SO not a big deal_

Sharpay: _idk Troy. I just have never done it b4 and don't want to be all embarrassed_

Troy: _u know if u don't want to dance with me u could just say so_

"No!" Sharpay said aloud. She texted back fast: _no_…_I do want to dance with u…_

Troy: _good, it's decided then ;)_

Sharpay: _Idk. I am so nervous now_

Troy: _seriously? ok, if dancing is 2 much 4 u 2 handle we can just talk :) _

Sharpay: _REALLY? that sick feeling just left lol_

Troy: _well, not the whole time, but yeah. I think it'll be interesting to actually talk to you…in person. _

Sharpay: _ok, at least I can breathe now lol_

Troy: _I will say one last thing: if u don't dance at least one slow song u will regret it. ttyl._

Sharpay stared at that message for a long time. She sent a quick reply: _guess we'll see. ttyl._ Troy was right; she totally would regret it. Sharpay was just so nervous. Troy Bolton asked her to dance. Troy Bolton. Troy. And not just any dance, a _slow_ dance. The kind that you really have to know what you were doing to make it look natural. Sharpay pulled out her journal again and started a new paragraph right below the entry she'd done just minutes before.

_P.S.- guess who just texted me? Troy Bolton! He asked me IN ADVANCE to slow dance with him at the day camp thing. Oh mann. I am so excited right now: TROY BOLTON! Seriously? Ahhh! And I can't even tell anyone, because my family still thinks I hate the kid, and yeah. I can't hardly write right now I am shaking so bad from excitement. And I have never danced. I don't really want to dance, but just the fact that Troy asked me TWO DAYS BEFORE the event? I feel so happy right now. Anyway, still don't know what to do. I really hate dancing, but it's Troy Bolton. Guess I have two days to decide. Night!_

…_.._


	4. Chapter 4

Sharpay jolted up in her bed. She looked at her clock: 4:45 AM "Oh my gosh. It's August 6th." Her stomach churned at the fact that in three hours she would be on her way to the camp…on her way to the dance.

She climbed out of her bed and stretched, then grasped her stomach. "Oh no," she said running to the bathroom. She got to the toilet and leaned over. "Breathe, Sharpay. Breathe." She kept reassuring herself that she was going to be fine and there was no need to be nervous.

After feeling her nervousness subside, she grasped the toilet edge and hoisted herself up. She wobbled downstairs to the kitchen to eat what she could of breakfast. After finding a box of doughnuts in the drawer, Sharpay grabbed a plate and plopped the smallest doughnut she could find onto her plate. She poured a glass of milk and went to the table. Sharpay took one bite and chewed on it for a long time before deciding to swallow. Then her stomach started to rumble again, and Sharpay grabbed her stomach.

"What's going on?" Sharpay jumped in her seat. Her mom came walking into the room.

"Geeze! You scared me!" Sharpay hissed. "Nothing, just nervous."

"Why? It's just a day camp. You will be listening to motivational speakers the whole time."

"And the dance," Sharpay mumbled.

"Oh, honey, you will get asked! Don't worry about it!" her mother said as she stroked the back of Sharpay's rich blonde hair.

"Someone already has asked me. _That_ is what I'm worried about," Sharpay said quietly.

Her mother's hand froze at the crown of Sharpay' head. "What? Who?"

Sharpay sighed hard. A small smile crept across her face and she answered. "Troy Bolton."

"Sharpay! That is…_fantastic_! When did he ask you? I thought you hated him!"

"I did hate him. But something's changed. He asked me a few days ago while we were texting. Mom, I just don't know how to dance and I'm scared I will mess up. And it will be my first so I want it to turn out perfect!" Sharpay replied as tears came running down her face.

"Oh, dancing is so easy!" Sharpay's mom grabbed her out from the chair and began whirling her around the room. "Just like this."

"Mom, stop. I'm going to puke," Sharpay said chuckling.

"So, you _are_ going to dance then?" Sharpay's mom said, still ignoring the other things Sharpay had brought up.

"I don't know yet. I just can't decide. I hate dancing, but _Troy_ asked me. That is kinda a big deal, you know?"

"I understand. Well whatever you decide it will be great and you will be happy with your choice."

"Thanks." Sharpay looked down at her doughnut. "I can't eat this. I don't want to throw it up later."

…

"See ya later kids!" Sharpay's mom waved at her and Ryan as she took off down the road. Sharpay was feeling so uncomfortable. She looked around for any familiar faces, and finally found one, but not the one she was hoping for at that particular moment. It was Troy. She smiled at him and continued searching for faces, trying to ignore Troy. She didn't see any of the other girls there yet.

"Come on, Ryan," she said to her brother. "Let's get a spot for us and Taylor on the bus." Ryan and Sharpay climbed onto the first bus and found their seats. They sat there for the next twenty minutes while everyone gathered. Sharpay couldn't move a muscle without feeling like she was going to throw up. Then she saw Taylor.

"Hey Sharpay!" Taylor waved at Sharpay. "Did you save me a spot?"

Sharpay motioned to the seat next to her. "Right here, Taylor." Once everyone was settled, the buses roared their engines and took off. Sharpay laid her head on the seat in front of her and tried to fall asleep so she would forget about her nerves.

Then she heard the engines shut off and Sharpay lifted her head from the seat. She looked across Ryan and out the window. "We're here. Great."

They all filed off the bus, got their luggage, and headed into the arena. Sharpay looked up at the ceiling that seemed so high. "Whoa," she exclaimed. "This place is huge." Her eyes followed the beams from the ceiling down to eye level again. She searched the crowd and saw Troy. Again, her stomach flipped. "I don't know what to do," she thought. "I have always been so against danc…"

"Sharpay Evans. Ah, there you are. Here's your shirt and name tag," said the woman at the table.

"Thanks," said Sharpay as she walked away. "Ugh, yellow shirts?"

She put her name tag on her left shoulder, put the shirt in her bag and went to her group for the "get to know you" activities. The activities lasted for what seemed like a million hours. Then dinner came and Sharpay was still feeling nauseous. She ate a few tiny bites and then her entire plate became a burden to her. She walked to the garbage and tossed her plate in. Sharpay brushed her hands against her jeans and walked back over to where Taylor and some other girls were sitting.

"It's almost dance time!" said Taylor. "I'm so excited. And this is Sharpay's first dance! Oh my gosh!"

Sharpay smiled and readjusted her bright pink shirt. "Yeah, probably will be out in the hallway the whole time."

"What? No, you have to dance, Sharpay. You have to try it."


	5. Chapter 5

The voice of a DJ came booming across the speakers. "Alright guys and gals! How's everyone tonight?" The crowd cheered as a response to his question. "Are you ready to get this party started?" Again, the crowd went nuts. The DJ blasted the music, and the dance began.

Sharpay looked at the clock. "Only four hours left. I can handle this. I'll just sit in the foyer until the dance is over. That way Troy will just forget about things, and I won't have to dance." Sharpay thought. Then she felt someone grab her shoulder. She turned around and Troy smiled at her.

"Are you totally stoked for this?" Troy said as he bounced up and down.

"Yeah, um, not really." Sharpay said.

"It's gonna be fun. You will have fun." Then he leaned in towards Sharpay's ear and whispered: "Come on Sharpay. At least _one_ slow song." As he walked away he turned around and threw a smile at Sharpay that made her heart melt.

Sharpay was so torn. After having Troy whisper in her ear she just wanted to dance with him the whole time. She started across the floor, following Troy. Then her feet stood still and she was unable to move. "What are you thinking, Sharpay? You have always said you will _never_ dance, and now you change your mind? You can't. It'll be fine…just go sit against the wall." Sharpay followed her own command and went to the concrete wall. She slid down until she was sitting on the ground. "Besides, your stomach still hurts a little. Just give yourself a little break." Sharpay sat in that same spot for a whole hour. Every time a slow song came over the speakers her stomach churned and her eyes frantically searched to make sure Troy wasn't coming her way.

"We're going to slow things down again folks," said the DJ. He turned on Taylor Swift's "Teardrops on my Guitar" and Sharpay searched the crowd for Troy. She started at the right corner of the group where he had been dancing the whole night and looked towards the left. When her eyes were straight in front of her, she saw Troy coming her way.

_Oh no_! Her first instinct was to get up and run so she wouldn't have to face him. She started to get up but Troy was quicker.

"Hey. How's it goin' over here at the wall?" Troy said with a smirk on his face. He slid down next to Sharpay.

Sharpay laughed. "Awesome." She said sarcastically. She looked at his face. "What's up?"

Troy looked at Sharpay, then faced forward again. "Have you decided yet?"

Sharpay sighed. She slowly pulled her leg toward her chest and rested her chin on her knee. Pulling at the shoelace on her brown shoes she finally answered. "No. I haven't decided yet."

Troy looked down at where Sharpay's hand was fiddling with the shoelace. "I really like your shoes."

"Thanks. I've had 'em for a while," Sharpay said.

Troy wouldn't give Sharpay eye contact anymore. After a few minutes Troy finally spoke. "Well have fun sitting here. Maybe I'll come back soon and see if you've changed your mind."

"Please do. You never know." Sharpay replied. Troy let out a sigh and then left. Sharpay closed her eyes and shook her head. She knew the right thing to do was to just get over her pride and dance, but she couldn't bear it.

…


	6. Chapter 6

Sharpay looked up again at the clock. It was getting later and Sharpay knew her final decision still needed to be made. Sharpay had been asked by four other boys to dance while she was sitting against the wall. She knew that it was rude to tell boys no, so she kept saying she was feeling dizzy and sick. The boys were all really nice, but Sharpay knew that if she was going to have her first dance tonight, she wanted it to be with Troy Bolton.

Sharpay swallowed hard. Then she saw Taylor coming over with some other girls. They all sat down by Sharpay. "Hey, Sharpay. Have you danced at all?" Taylor asked.

"Nah, I haven't really been feeling great."

"Oh. Well the dance is going to end soon. I hope you get to dance before it's over!" Taylor turned to her right and began talking to the other girls.

Sharpay looked forward and replied. "Me too." The DJ's voice interrupted the music again. He said a few words about the dance and then played the next song. Sharpay didn't recognize the tune, but she did recognize it had a slow tempo. She looked up at the clock and sighed. Then her eyes came down from the clock and she saw Troy running towards her. He finally reached her and was panting.

"Sharpay," Troy said. "At least one slow song?" Then he reached his hand out as an offering to help her up. He lifted one corner of his mouth into a smile.

Sharpay looked deep into the mix of brown and gold in Troy's eyes and smiled back. She slowly lifted her arm and placed her hand in his. "Yeah, at least one slow song."

Troy's smile became full and helped Sharpay up. He held out his arm, and told Sharpay to put her arm through so he could escort her to the floor. As she placed her arm through his, she could feel how nicely toned his muscles were. Sharpay looked up at Troy. "Like this?" Troy didn't respond verbally, he just winked. She held her head a little taller as she walked arm in arm with Troy Bolton.

They got out onto the dance floor, and Troy smiled again. "Okay. Put your hand on my shoulder, I'll put my arm here. Then our other hands just go out to the side like this." He grabbed Sharpay's right hand and held it up. "See? Simple." Sharpay was surprised at how easy it actually was.

He looked into Sharpay's eyes again. "You still feel sick?"

She was not nervous at all anymore. "No, I'm good," she replied. Troy and her talked like they had been friends since kindergarten.

Out on the dance floor, it seemed like it was only them and Sharpay didn't pay any attention to other couples or the music. Troy had his full attention on her, and Sharpay was totally focused on him as well. They were still dancing when the music switched to a fast song.

"Oh, we better stop…you can't dance slow style to fast music," Troy said laughing. "Sharpay, we just danced through two slow songs."

"We did? Oh my gosh!" Sharpay was stunned. "That's funny, considering how nervous I was and how much I hate dancing."

Troy looked into Sharpay's eyes. He looked so good up close. She could read in his eyes that he wanted to say something more. It seemed like he wanted to just hold her, put his hands around her face and kiss her. She closed her eyes for only a few seconds before Troy's voice broke her thought. "So first dance was a success?"

Sharpay moved in closer to Troy and reached her arms through his to give him a hug. She leaned her head gently against his chest, feeling his muscles through his collared shirt. "Success," she said.

…..

_August 6, 2010_

_Youth Day Camp today! So remember how I made a vow to never dance in my life? Yeah, that changed tonight. I danced with Troy Bolton. Through two songs. It was amazing. _

_My first dance was a "success" as Troy would say. I don't know what is going to happen between me and him, but I am glad he was my first dance. Cute. He kept saying "at least one slow song" to me every time I saw him. And we danced through two. I am just so happy right now. _

_Troy is a great guy. I wish I hadn't treated him like dirt when he first came here. He is so nice and cute. During the dance I couldn't believe how great his body looked: his muscles were formed perfectly and his tan was a perfect shade. His eyes just make me crazy when he looks at me and smiles. I hope that he will take me on a date now that we are both "dateable". _

_Anyway, I am super happy. Before I left today, my mom told me that whatever choice I made about the dance I would be happy with. I don't think I would've been if I hadn't danced with Troy. I would've never known how to dance, and I wouldn't have known it's not as stupid or scary as I thought it would be. I also wouldn't be friends with Troy and THAT would be, well, as Troy would say: "a failure." I'm glad I followed Troy's advice and danced at least _one _slow song. What a change of heart, huh?_

Sharpay set her pen down and looked up, just remembering how it felt to be physically so close to Troy.

Then her phone buzzed. It was her friend Laura.

Laura: _I just heard what happened…are you okay, Shar?_

Sharpay drew her eyebrows together in confusion.

Sharpay: _What?_

Her phone buzzed not even five seconds later. She opened the text message and read it. And when she read it, she could not believe what she was reading.


	7. Chapter 7

Laura: _I heard about you throwing up on Troy. Are you okay?_

Sharpay stared at the message for a long time. She felt her eyes moisten and blur. A tear rolled down her cheek. Where was this coming from? She had just had the best night of her life and now this.

Sharpay: _What? I didn't puke on Troy…who told you that? Where'd you hear that?_

Laura: _What? You didn't throw up? Why would he say that?_

Sharpay: _Who told you that?_

Laura: _My dad: he said that someone saw you throw up on Troy while you were dancing._

Sharpay felt like a brick had been heaved at her stomach. She grabbed where the pain was coming from and held her hand there as she replied.

Sharpay: _Well you need to check your dad's sources. I didn't puke on Troy. _

Laura: _Oh. Are you okay? You had a good time then?_

Sharpay didn't even respond. She just deleted the text and threw her phone to the foot of her bed. She was going to find out who started _that_ rumor. She'd had a great time with Troy. She had gone out of her comfort zone, danced, and she thought she'd made the right choice; she felt really good about her choice—until today.

She stared at her phone for a while, just letting the tears roll down her face. Then she grabbed it and immediately texted Troy. She was past the point of hurt; now she was enraged.

Sharpay: _I just got a very odd text from Laura…about me puking on you at the dance._

For Troy's sake, she hoped that he had a great explanation. Her phone screen lit up and she opened the message. Her heart was pounding with resentment, irritation and fury.

Troy: _WHAT? What the heck…I have no idea. What did she say?_

Sharpay: _She said that her dad told her family I puked on you at the dance._

Troy: _I don't believe it. _

Sharpay: _I am really upset about it. You didn't tell anybody I puked on you?_

Troy:_ no, I would never do that. I knew you were nervous, and you said you felt sick but I didn't say you actually threw up on me._

Sharpay was confused: _But you talked to someone about me feeling sick…_

Troy: _Yeah, my dad. _

And there it was. Sharpay had come to the realization over the past few years that Troy's dad was the type of guy to get his attention by making fun of people. He reminded Sharpay of a cheap car salesman. Really fake; only talks to you to get gain for his own ego. Sharpay couldn't stand him.

Sharpay texted Troy back: _It was your dad. _

Troy: _What? No way. I'll ask him. TTYL_

Sharpay threw her phone down in frustration again. She couldn't believe Troy wasn't on her side with this. Sharpay decided to leave her phone in her room while she distracted herself. She headed down stairs to the TV room and put in her favorite movie, "Rocky IV". She loved Rocky; he was such a great character. These movies gave her hope in men, because heaven only knew what her thought about men at this moment was.

….

A few days later Sharpay had kind of forgotten the rumor. She had been telling everyone about her change of heart, how she danced through two slow songs, the whole shebang. And whenever asked about who she danced with, she always had the same answer. With a smile creeping onto her face, she'd respond, "Troy Bolton."

She laid in her bed, responding to texts she had received throughout the day. Then she went past the messages from Troy a few days back. She realized he hadn't texted her back after he mentioned he'd talk to his dad.

Sharpay: _Did you talk to your dad?_

Sharpay always seemed to text more at night than throughout the day. Mostly because it was the only time she was by herself. A typical day was spent rehearsing for some musical production and then hanging out with friends, and then spending time with family. She didn't have a lot of time near her phone except for bedtime…around 10PM.

She pressed a button on her phone and saw that Troy had responded.

Troy: _haha yeah, I did_

Sharpay: _? and…?_

Troy: _so apparently, my dad and Laura's dad and Mr. Johns were talking in the hallway about me and you dancing. I came up behind them and my dad said "So Sharpay puked on you, huh?" and I was like no, she said she felt sick but we had a really nice time and he and Laura's dad and mr. johns were making fun of you and laughing. That's all it was._

This response didn't help the situation.

Sharpay: _and what happened after you said that?_

Troy: _nothing. I just walked away. I ignore things like that_

Sharpay didn't know how to respond to Troy's response. She felt a little hurt that he didn't stick up for her much more than that.

Sharpay: _and that doesn't bother you at all?_

Troy: _it was harmless, they didn't say anything mean_

Sharpay: _not about you, but obviously you don't understand that I put myself out on the line, out of my comfort zone and went to that dance. And I get repaid by a rumor being started. That's fantastic. I knew I should've skipped the dance._

Troy: _you are overreacting. It's so not a big deal Sharpay._

Sharpay: _and you are underreacting. It is a big deal. I am going to bed I'll ttyl_

Sharpay waited for his response before shutting her phone off for the night. She thought that Troy and she had something going. She thought that he liked her. "Obviously," she thought, "I misinterpreted his winks, smiles, tex…" She was interrupted by his response.

Troy: _come on. I'll stick up for you if anything else happens. But it's not as big of a deal as you think._

"Yeah okay," she said aloud as she held the power button down on her phone. The screen turned black and she put her phone away. Sharpay lay in bed for a while, thinking about all the points of view she could have on this, and thinking about the night of the dance. She finally decided that no matter what people said she was glad she went. It was a great way to start off her goal of "doing more for senior year."

Before turning out her light, she made a list of things to do the next day.

TO DO LIST:

Clean room

Start getting addresses for graduation announcements

Look online at grad party supplies

Email Emma, talk about puking rumor

She looked at her list again, and decided she'd better talk with Emma first. Emma was Sharpay's very best friend. They were like sisters and Sharpay knew that Emma could offer comfort. She drew an arrow so that Email Emma would be at the top of her list. She set down the list, and turned out her light. She'd try to get some sleep and calm down before opening the door of the rumor again tomorrow when emailing Emma.

*Hey everyone! Hope you enjoy my story…please leave comments for if you like the story or not. I have a lot more chapters to post…It'll end up being at least 30 chapters long! So if I get at least one response from a reader I'll keep posting enjoy! –Juliet Spree


	8. Chapter 8

Sharpay stared at the blinking cursor on the computer screen. She thought of how she should tell Emma this story, and finally decided to do it short and sweet; just describe exactly what happened. She told Emma about Laura's texts, then what Troy told her had happened and how he didn't stick up for her at all.

Sharpay sent the email and then started to clean her room. Five minutes into it, she decided she was bored with that so she crossed it off her list and moved to the next item: getting addresses for graduation announcements. She knew senior year hadn't even started yet, but she didn't want to be worrying about getting addresses while trying to do scholarships and finals. She sent out a mass text asking for people's addresses. She started getting a ton of replies, and was busy for twenty minutes typing up a list of people and their responses.

When there was a pause in the text messages, she refreshed her email to see if Emma had responded. She did! Sharpay opened the email from Emma and began reading:

_Sharpay! That is terrible…why would someone start a rumor like that? You finally go to a dance and then this happens. I am so sorry! I think it is weird that Troy didn't do anything about it. I would think he would, after what he said about you at the dance! That is totally opposite of how he is acting._

Sharpay tried to recall what Emma was talking about, but couldn't. She decided to call Emma instead of emailing back.

"Hello?"

"Hey Emma, it's Sharpay."

"Hey, I just emailed you," Emma replied.

"Yeah, I just read it. What did Troy say at the dance?"

"What? I didn't tell you? I could swear on my life that I did—" Emma said, as if trying to recall.

Sharpay felt anxious. She laughed, "Well, you didn't, so what did he say?"

Emma verbally shrugged and responded. "Well, after he danced with you, he asked me to dance."

There was a pause, and Sharpay broke the silence. "And then…"

"Well, we were just talking about the dance, and I asked him how he liked dancing with you and he said he really enjoyed it. Then I asked him who he liked and he said he doesn't really like anyone right now, but you are the closest he's ever come to liking someone."

"Wait," Sharpay's heart was beating so loudly she was sure it had impeded her ability to hear Emma correctly. "He said what?"

"He said, 'Sharpay is the closest I've ever come to liking someone,'" Emma repeated, trying to imitate Troy.

"Emma, you better not be joking with me," Sharpay smiled.

"I'm not! Why would I do that? That is what he said! And I remember because I was like, 'oh I have got to tell Sharpay this, she is gonna die!' Are you dying?" Emma laughed.

"Uh, YES!" Sharpay basically screamed. "Oh Emma. Emma. Emma."

"Quit saying my name! What!" Emma laughed even harder.

"I can't even talk right now. I am too excited. I will call you back when I am calmer!" Sharpay and Emma said goodbye, and Sharpay set her phone down on the computer desk. She fell back into the chair, and just stared at the screen. _Troy Bolton…likes me? _Sharpay thought. _Well, almost likes me. That's basically the same thing. I just have to push him that last little way. Who knew this could come from just going to one dance. Just dancing one slow song?_ Sharpay opened her contact list and stared at Troy's name. She sat in that chair for the next ten minutes, staring at Troy's name and smiling.

…..

Sharpay put the car into park and her and Ryan got out of the car. She usually hated youth night, mostly because her mom forced her and her brother to go, but today she was extremely willing to attend. Mostly to see Troy there and maybe get a chance to push him the last little bit he needed to like her. Sharpay and Ryan walked into the building and found a couple empty seats in the back row of chairs. They took a seat and waited for the meeting to start.

After the boys and girls split for their different activities, Sharpay found Emma and Taylor standing in a corner. She walked over to them, and gave Emma a huge smile.

"You look unusually happy to be here," Emma began. "And I think I know why!"

Taylor looked around at the other two, confused. "Wait, what? Why? What's going on?"

Sharpay couldn't speak; just smile. She looked at Emma and Emma laughed. "Her and Troy _officially_ have a thing."

Taylor dropped her jaw and put her hand over her mouth. "WHAT! Since when! This is so exciting! So you all got over the puking thing then?"

Sharpay's smile faded, and she finally was able to speak for herself. "No. I have not. That is still not okay with me."

Taylor jumped back a little. "Well, did you find out who did it? Maybe you should talk to them?"

Sharpay rolled her eyes at Taylor's suggestion. "No. I think that this person should approach me, not the other way around." When Sharpay found out it was Mr. Johns who had started the puking rumor, she vowed to be her usual self and treat him in the way she did everyone who wronged her: silent treatment and glaring; going out of her way to make sure he knew that SHE knew what he'd done, and she was not happy about it. "I've done a great job the past few weeks making sure Mr. Johns knows that he is despicable, and I am not just gonna drop the act Taylor."

The activity was finally set up, so the girls quickly dispersed and began their activity.

When the activity ended everyone traveled to the cafeteria to get some root beer floats. Emma and Sharpay left the cafeteria and started walking down an empty hallway. They were talking and laughing, when Emma looked straight ahead and instantly her laughing ceased. Sharpay caught on and looked in the same direction. Mr. Johns was walking straight for them. Sharpay turned to Emma and began a new conversation. As they two parties passed each other, Mr. Johns smiled. "Hey girls, how are you?"

Emma panicked and responded, "Good, you?"

Mr. Johns smiled at Emma and looked toward Sharpay, waiting for a response. Sharpay pursed her lips, raised her left eyebrow, and slowly crossed her arms, giving strong eye contact with no intent of being the first to break it. Mr. Johns caught on and walked away without saying a word.

"Sharpay," Emma said through her teeth. "Come on."

"Emma, are you kidding me? You know what he did to me. It's not okay! It's not...just…a whatever! Why doesn't anybody understand that?" Sharpay felt a tap on her shoulder and quickly whipped around to see who was interrupting this conversation. It was Mr. Johns.

"Hey, can I talk to you for a minute?" Mr. Johns spoke really quietly and Sharpay thought she saw his face turn red.

_Heck no, _Sharpay thought. _I'd rather die than speak to you at this very moment._

"Fine," she responded smugly.

Mr. Johns held open a door to an empty classroom, and followed Sharpay into the room.


	9. Chapter 9

Sharpay crossed her arms, and leaned her weight onto a table at the front of the room, waiting for him to speak first.

Mr. Johns stared at Sharpay for a long time, just rubbing his hands together in nervousness. He kept saying "Um," and "So," but never got past these short scripts. Sharpay felt a little sorry for Mr. Johns; he looked like he was going to pass out. But she didn't break her confidence for a second just because she felt a bit of pity for this man. Finally he was able to get some words out.

"Sharpay, I am…really sorry about what I said. I was trying to give Troy a bad time, and I knew as soon as I said you puked on him I had crossed the line." Mr. Johns was tearing up, Sharpay realized, when she saw a tear roll down his cheek.

Sharpay raised her left eyebrow again to respond. "Really..."

Mr. Johns let a couple more tears fall down his face. "I knew as soon as it came out of my mouth that it was wrong."

Sharpay hated to have to say "thank you," because she did not feel it was necessary, but she did it anyway. "Well thank you for apologizing because I have been really mad about things."

"You have every right to be," Mr. Johns said as he raised both his hands. "I don't blame you if you never speak to me again. I am so sorry. I hope I didn't ruin things between you and Troy because I think he is really happy around you."

Sharpay gave a quizzical look in Mr. Johns' direction. She looked down, and then felt weird at everything that had happened, so she said thank you again and walked out of the room.

Sharpay walked back into the cafeteria, where Emma had gone after Sharpay followed Mr. Johns into the empty classroom. She walked slowly, trying to straighten her thoughts out after what had just happened.

"Shar, _what_ was that?" Emma could hardly contain her curiosity. "What did Mr. Johns say?"

Sharpay still had the quizzical look on her face. She didn't really want to share what had exactly happened. "He just apologized for what he did. That's it." Emma could tell Sharpay had a lot more information that she wasn't going to share, so she just let it slide.


	10. Chapter 10

Sharpay hadn't seen Troy at the youth activity a few days ago. It made her sad, but with the whole "Mr. Johns crying I'm sorry" mess, she was glad she only had to deal with that one thing that night.

Sharpay had had one thing on her mind for the past few weeks: What Troy said to Emma. She couldn't believe that Troy said that she, Sharpay Evans, was the closest he'd ever come to liking someone. Troy Bolton could have whoever he wanted, at the drop of a hat, and Sharpay was on a natural high knowing that she was the one who Troy was interested in.

She'd always been so focused on herself, so focused on hating everyone else. Sharpay, since she was a little girl, thought she knew her plan; leave Albequerque and finally meet some people…some guys that were worthwhile. But since she finished her junior year, she'd been changing. She was, after all, starting to get involved with Troy Bolton. For someone who had always sworn off boys from her life, that alone was a huge change. She hardly knew herself anymore; she was making spontaneous decisions about life, and it scared her a little.

Since she hadn't heard from Troy in a few days, she decided to text him. She was getting to the point where if they didn't talk, she would constantly check her phone, constantly bite her nails until text messages between the two were exchanged. She knew she was becoming addicted to his texts, but did not like thinking of herself as an addict.

Sharpay grabbed her white purse and searched through all the receipts, candy wrappers and pens to find her phone. "I should probably clean that out before school starts," she said to herself as she opened a new text message.

Sharpay: _Hey Troy! Didn't see you the other night…where were you?_

Troy: _Hey :) I was at a club tennis meeting for school_

Sharpay: _Oh, I thought that school didn't start for another weekish :]_

Troy: _It doesn't, but there was a meeting so I went anyway_

Sharpay: _oh. Gotta love tennis ;]_

Troy: _Yeah it's pretty legit. Not as good as basketball though._

Sharpay could feel the conversation starting to end, so she thought of something else to talk about. She thought of a lot of subjects, but didn't feel like any were what she wanted to talk about. Then the thought crossed her mind to bring up Emma's email. "Sharpay, are you kidding me?" she thought. "No! It never ends well when someone straight up asks about things like that. Just let it happen on its own!"

But Sharpay's fingers had a mind of their own. As soon as she finished her thought of "no, don't!" she typed her message.

Sharpay: _So Emma told me what you said to her at the conference._

She pressed send. As the message was being sent, she realized what she had actually just done. She became flustered, thinking of what Troy would say back. No matter what he said, she realized she'd just dug herself a hole and there was no way to get back on ground level.

Troy: _And what would that be?_

Sharpay thought of making up something, but she couldn't bring herself to lie about what Emma told her. So she sent her response.

Sharpay: _Well, she just told me what you said about liking me._

Troy: _what do you mean…_

Sharpay: _you like me? Like, as more than friends?_

Troy took a long time to respond: _No, I like you as a friend. She misinterpreted me haha_

Sharpay felt her cheeks burning with embarrassment. Her heart stopped and she was overcome with the urge to heave her phone across the room.

She answered: _What did you say to her exactly then?_

Troy: _Not that. I didn't say that._

Sharpay instantly became enraged. She should've listened to herself and not sent that text message. Now things were just getting heated and awkward.

Sharpay: _Seriously? Then why did you ask me to dance in advance if you don't like me? And why did we dance through two songs? And why do we text ALL the time? _

Sharpay could go on and on with the list, but stopped there. This wasn't doing any good, it was only making her angrier at Troy, Emma, everyone.

Troy: _I like talking to you. It's awesome._

__Sharpay didn't care to hear what Troy had to say. Thinking of how she'd fallen for Troy embarrassed her too much. Thinking of a way to end the conversation quickly, she responded simply.

Sharpay: _Okay. Sorry then._

Troy: _It's all good. I'm going to hit the sack. Ttyl_

Sharpay: _okay_

Sharpay felt like an idiot. She was too forward. "This is what I get for waiting to enter the world of males until I was 17. Genius," Sharpay said aloud, searching the bookshelf for her journal. She found it and flipped it open to reveal a clean page.

_August 26, 2010_

_Not a lot today: but I asked Troy Bolton if he liked me. He said no, and I am like heartbroken. And I feel so stupid, like I am loosing track of who I am, what my path is and what my plan is. I always had a plan but now with all of this mess my head is so fuzzy and I can't make rational decisions anymore. I don't know what is going on with me. Need some sleep. _

Sharpay closed her journal and shut the light out. She pulled up the covers and stared at the white ceiling in her bedroom. "If Troy Bolton isn't going to fall for me, why did I have to fall for Troy Bolton?" She closed her eyes and fell into a deep abyss of sleep, putting off all her anguish and pain until she could deal with it the next day.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Thank you to all my readers! Please review this chapter, this story. Let me know if it is any good at all. All input appreciated :) Enjoy, I loved writing this chapter.**

It had been weeks since Troy and Sharpay talked. School had started, things got busy and rumors had ceased for the time being. Sharpay wanted to talk to Troy but didn't feel justified in sending the first text. She didn't want to come across as needy.

Sharpay looked at the clock: 6:00AM. "Great," she said to herself. "Since I'm up, mine as well get dressed up a little." She walked over to the closet and opened the door. Flipping on the light, a bunch of outfits became visible. Sharpay did the classic teenage girl move: "No, no, not that one, why do I own this still, no, no, no…" She stopped sliding hangers across the bar and put her hands on her hips. She looked around the walls at the hundreds of outfits. She had planned on wearing sweats and a t-shirt, until she'd woken up so early. Then she saw an old dress she'd worn as a bridesmaid in a family wedding. It was tea length, white, with petite neon flowers embroidered onto the skirt.

"Yes!" Sharpay pulled the dress off the hanger and put it on. She looked hot in the dress, and she knew it. She got her clear heels and tied a matching bow onto the strap that matched the dress. Once the ensemble was complete, she curled her hair into loose curls and put on just a touch of makeup. "Huh, I look better than I did at the wedding!" Sharpay laughed.

…

Sharpay parked the car and got out. Ryan came around to help her with her door. "Really sis, is this the most practical outfit for September?"

"Ryan, I am feeling like a new girl today. I am going to start dressing nicer, cuter, and: why do you care?" Sharpay asked.

Ryan gave Sharpay a look. "It's because of Troy isn't it? This is NOT you at all. You are a sweats and t-shirt girl. Not a…Paris Hilton."

Sharpay's heart sank. If she couldn't fool Ryan, what made her think other people would buy into this new façade? But she didn't let Ryan see her disappointment. "Ryan, I am turning over a new leaf. And if Troy notices I can't help it. But I am doing this for me," she lied.

She bounced confidently into the doors of the high school. She looked at the bronze wildcat statue and saw a few people leaning on it like it was a lunch table. She widened her eyes and continued her new bounce as she turned toward the library. She was about to walk in when Ryan pulled her back out. "Shar, no one is going to buy…this."

"Stop it Ryan. They will if you do. So come on, for me?" Sharpay put on the puppy dog face, and Ryan gave in.

"If we weren't twins, I'd just pretend I don't know you, you know." Sharpay laughed and kissed Ryan on the cheek. The warning bell rang, and Ryan watched as Sharpay bobbed through the bookshelves.

…

Sharpay walked in like she owned the place. Pausing for a moment, her eyes met Troy's. He was talking with Zeke and Chad, but the conversation seemed to halt when Troy saw Sharpay. Pretending not to notice, she walked to a table in the back, past Troy and the guys. She sat down and studied her nails. Ryan took a seat right next to Sharpay.

Troy walked over to the table and smiled at Sharpay. "Hey," Troy said.

Sharpay sighed. "Yes?"

Troy was a little taken back by her flippant response. "You look nice. You're matching dress and shoes are—impressive." He smiled again before returning to his previous conversation. Sharpay turned to Ryan and mouthed _oh my gosh!_ Ryan looked at her with his mouth wide open, shrugged, and shook his head, not believing this was working.

…

Lunchtime. Sharpay was starving, but began to realize as the day progressed that a dress was _not_ the best choice for September, let alone for school. It felt like a corset now, and she couldn't put down a bite because she knew it would just get tighter. She decided to write in her journal instead.

_September 12, 2010_

_So busy lately, hardly have time to breathe! School's been good, a lot of new teachers this year. My classes are all fun though, which is nice. My first class of the day, English, is in the library this year. The juniors and seniors have to share the space while the heating is being fixed in the regular classrooms. So guess who I have to see every morning? Yep. Troy Bolton. Great, right? I can't stand having to see him everyday._

Sharpay had been fiddling with the charms hanging on the binding of her journal while writing, and broken one off. "Dang." She looked at the binding and saw where it had come off.

"Sharpay," a voice said.

Sharpay looked up and saw Troy standing in front of her. She raised both of her eyebrows. "What?"

Troy slid down next to her and Sharpay tried to nonchalantly close the cover of the journal. "What's with the hateful responses?"

"What are you talking about? I'm not doing anything," Sharpay responded.

"Yes you are. You're still mad aren't you?" Troy asked, concerned.

Sharpay thought before responding. "I'm over it."

Troy rolled his eyes. "Okay." He played with a loose string on his belt. "What are you writing?"

Sharpay's gut tightened. "Uhh, homework. English."

Troy didn't buy it. "In a pink, bound book…really…"

Sharpay sighed. "Okay, just writing some thoughts. Does it matter?"

Troy squinted slyly and grabbed the book out of Sharpay's grasp.

"Uhh, do-," Sharpay stuttered as she reached for her book.

Troy smiled. "No worries." He grabbed the charm from Sharpay's fingers. "Need help with that?" He grabbed a penny out of his pocket and opened the clasp. He slid it right back onto the binding as if he had practiced the motion over and over. He put the journal back on Sharpay's lap and set the penny on top. "Keep it," he said, winking. He stood up and walked towards the doors that led to the parking lot. He pushed the door open and Sharpay felt a gust of frigid air run through her.

Sharpay grabbed her journal and the penny, jumped up, and ran after Troy. She pushed the door and felt the cold air hit her again, but this time the chill stayed as she followed Troy to his truck.

"Troy," Sharpay called. Troy turned around, surprised to see her outside.

"Aren't you freezing?" Troy asked with a smile creeping onto his face, as he walked closer to her.

Sharpay sighed. "Troy, I—"

She didn't get to finish. Troy had his arms around her, moving them up and down slightly as to distract her body from the chill. He looked at Sharpay and didn't say a word. He took the journal out of her hand and set it on the bed of his truck. He moved the blonde curls out of his way and leaned in. Troy's lips pressed against hers with just enough pressure to leave her wanting more. She put her hand up and softly caressed the back of his neck, and returned the kiss.

Sharpay finally pulled away. "Troy," she started.

Troy tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "I'm so sorry."

Sharpay's heart was pounding. "For what?"

Troy looked down and found Sharpay's hand. Intertwining his fingers into hers, he answered. "I can't." He kissed the top of her head lightly, let her hand fall from his and walked back into the school. Sharpay stood on the cracked asphalt, watching Troy walk away.


	12. Chapter 12

Emma came running out the doors, straight to Sharpay. "What just happened?" Emma gasped.

Sharpay responded first with a shrug. "He kissed me. He kissed me, Emma," Sharpay sighed. "And I kissed him back." Sharpay stared off in the distance trying to wrap her head around the situation. "I don't understand; he said 'I'm sorry, I can't…' then just walked off." She paused for a moment. "Who does that?"

Emma put her hand on Sharpay's shivering shoulders. "Shar, I bet he just got cold feet. He obviously likes you. And you are Sharpay Evans; you can handle anything. You can get what you want." Emma smiled.

Sharpay broke out of her stare and looked at Emma. "That's right. You're right. I am Sharpay Evans. I get what I want. I can handle anything." The bell rang, calling Sharpay and Emma to their next classes.

* * *

Finally the clock struck three, marking the end of what seemed to be the longest day on the planet. Sharpay stood at her locker with Ryan, putting books into her book bag that she would need later that night.

Ryan crossed his arms and leaned on the locker next to Sharpay's. "You okay? You seem frazzled," Ryan asked.

Sharpay brushed it off. "Yeah, just suddenly have a lot on my mind." Ryan started to speak again but decided against it. Sharpay pulled out the keys. "Okay, ready?" Ryan nodded and they headed to the car. Sharpay put the key in the lock and opened the back door. She and Ryan tossed their stuff in and slammed the door shut again. She looked back towards the school, and saw Troy talking on his phone by the doors. "Ryan I left something inside, I'll be back." Without listening for Ryan's response, she walked back to the school.

"Yeah, I have tennis but then I should be available for that," Sharpay heard Troy say into his phone. Then he made eye contact with her, and ended the call. "I will talk to you around seven then. Bye." He put his phone into his pocket.

Sharpay finally reached where he was. She stood next to him, crossing her arms. Neither of them spoke; they just looked at each other. Finally Sharpay shook her head as she decided to speak. "What is this, Troy?"

Troy's expression went gray. All he could do was look at the skirt of Sharpay's dress; as if his guilt would flee from his body into her dress. Sharpay could see that Troy wasn't going to speak yet, so she continued.

"I just need to know. I can't be constantly riding on this emotional pendulum. I need to understand what is going on in your head." Sharpay paused. "You need to talk to me, Troy." Sharpay looked up into Troy's familiar golden brown eyes.

"Sharpay!" Sharpay could feel Taylor's presence behind her. Troy turned as if saying "talk to Taylor." Sharpay closed her eyes and took a breath before turning around.

"What?" Sharpay spoke softly, yet sharply.

"Hey you excited for next weekend?" Taylor nudged Sharpay and raised her eyebrows up and down.

"What is next week?" Sharpay said.

Taylor's jaw dropped. "What? You don't remember?"

Sharpay put her fingers to her temple. "No, please enlighten me-," she said.

"The trip to Santa Fe," Taylor said. "I would think you of all people would remember…we get to see Zach and Isaac!"

Sharpay looked over Taylor's shoulder at Troy to see if he caught the mention of Zach and Isaac. He had; he was looking right at her now, giving her the eye contact she wanted earlier. "Oh, yeah, I forgot that was so soon. I don't know for sure if I am going," Sharpay responded, looking back at Taylor midway through speaking. "I mean, I don't know if being around Zach and Isaac would be the best thing right now."

Taylor rolled her eyes. "Oh come on Sharpay, you afraid that you and Isaac might actually admit that you like each other?" She laughed. "Well, I know you will end up going. Speaking of, I gotta run. Work!" Taylor shouted on her way to the parking lot.

Sharpay's gut sank as she realized she had to face Troy now. She knew Isaac would now be the new topic of conversation. Zach and Isaac Seltyes were twins that she had met at the beginning of the summer. She became really close with them both, but mostly with Isaac. They hung out a lot; they were just really comfortable around each other. They were visiting their sister in Albuquerque for the summer, but lived in Santa Fe. Every year, Sharpay, Emma, Taylor and Kelsie went to Santa Fe, and this year the Seltyes family offered to let the girls stay at their house when they visited. Sharpay had gotten some crap from her parents about being in the same house as Isaac, so she didn't know if she'd go. She also didn't want to go if things with Troy were heating up, so she needed to know from Troy what was going on.

Troy faced his body back towards Sharpay. "Isaac, huh? You're still on him," Troy chuckled softly, enraging Sharpay.

"You listen," Sharpay was so close to Troy's face now. "It's really none of your business, but we are really good friends." Sharpay could feel her heart pounding in her breast. "I need you to tell me what is going on in your head. Cause I need to know before I decide if I am making this trip to Santa Fe."

Troy looked into Sharpay's eyes. "Go have your fling with Isaac. I couldn't care less," he said.

Sharpay felt like a knife had been stabbed into her heart. "Why did you kiss me?"

Troy stared at Sharpay, thinking of a response. "Heat of the moment. Nothing more." And with that, he walked to the parking lot.

Sharpay pulled out her phone as she also walked back towards her car. She dialed Taylor's number. Troy had parked next to Sharpay, so when Taylor answered, Sharpay spoke loud enough for Troy to hear. "Hey, Tay," she said. She made eye contact with Troy. "I just wanted to let you know that I will be going to Santa Fe with you all." Sharpay smiled with revenge at Troy. "Can't wait to spend the night with Isaac."

**A/N: Please review! Just to make the author feel like this is worth her time! :) -JS**


	13. Chapter 13

Troy watched as Sharpay's car pulled out of the parking lot. He stared out his window for a long time before starting the truck's engine. "What is happening," he stated. "What am I doing? Sharpay Evans?" Troy looked at himself in the rear view mirror. "Sharpay Evans. You do NOT like Sharpay," he said. "You kissed her though. And you liked it. What does that mean?" Troy shook his head, throwing a counter argument back at himself. "Nah, it was the heat of the moment. That is all." Troy looked down at his phone. He picked it up and scrolled through all the text messages from Sharpay. He hadn't deleted any of them. He went through them from time to time; they made him smile—a lot. Then he realized what he was doing. He immediately highlighted all the messages, and pressed delete.

The automatic message appeared on his screen. _Are you sure you want to delete these messages?_ Troy looked up from his phone, and stared out the windshield. He watched as some kids played a game of catch on the worn out baseball field. He saw two kids sitting on the bench. They looked to be about five or six; not too old. Then he watched as the boy leaned in and kissed the little girl. It was a quick little kiss, and then they both held hands. Troy couldn't help but smile. He looked back down at his phone where the message still lurked on his screen: _Are you sure you want to delete these messages?_ Troy hit cancel, started his car, and headed home.

* * *

Sharpay was squished in the back seat next to Kelsi. She kept checking her phone, hoping to see a text from Troy. She was upset with him but wanted to talk to him. Just one text would suffice. One text.

Kelsi noticed Sharpay was antsy. She nudged Sharpay and spoke quietly, so Emma and Taylor wouldn't hear. "Hey," she said, "you okay?" Sharpay smiled a half smile and shrugged. Kelsi understood; not the entirety of the situation but she knew Sharpay was struggling.

Taylor finally spoke. "Ahh finally! We are here, ladies." Taylor swung a sharp left and swung into the Seltyes' driveway. "Took us long enough! Maybe we would've gotten here by ten-thirty if Emma didn't have to pee every three minutes," Taylor said laughing.

Emma crossed her arms. "Hey, I'm a little anxious, okay?" She turned to Sharpay and smiled. "I'm surprised you didn't have to go to the bathroom at all."

Sharpay threw her duffel over her shoulder. "Ha ha ha," she said sarcastically. "I'm not nervous. Why should I be?"

They all grabbed the rest of their belongings and walked to the door. Sharpay stayed toward the back of the pack. She didn't really want to be first and make a huge scene. Just as Taylor was getting ready to knock on the door it flew open. "GIRLS!" screamed Mrs. Seltyes. "We were wondering when you'd all get here. We were beginning to get worried!" She invited all of them in, hugging each person as they came through the door. When Sharpay finally got in, Mrs. Seltyes smiled. "Sharpay, nice to see you again. The boys are so excited to spend a few days with you…" She was interrupted by Mr. Seltyes.

"Why they are alive!" he said. "Now, I don't know your names, so let's get that out of the way."

Taylor spoke first. "Hi, I am Taylor. This is Kelsi, Emma, and Sharpay."

Mr. Seltyes looked at Sharpay. "Ah, the famous Sharpay Evans," he responded. "The boys talk about you ALL THE TIME."

Sharpay laughed awkwardly. "Well, yeah that is me. And all good, I hope," she said.

"Of course! From what I hear, there is nothing bad they could say about you!"

Sharpay cringed inside as she thought of the past few weeks with Troy. _If they only knew_ she thought. "Well, that's very nice of them." There was an awkward pause before someone spoke. Kelsi finally caught on.

"So, our rooms are…" Kelsi prompted.

"Oh yes!" said Mrs. Seltyes. "Um, just follow me." She led all four girls down to the basement. "We have 2 rooms, so let's see, Kelsi and Taylor I guess can share this room, and Emma and Sharpay in the one down the hall, is that alright?"

All the girls nodded and headed into their rooms to put away their luggage. Taylor yelled out from her room, "So where are the boys?"

Mrs. Seltyes leaned in the doorway. "They are at a football game. Homecoming," she said. Then she leaned toward Sharpay and Emma's room. "They should be home in a few minutes though! I am going to head upstairs to bed though girls. Make yourself at home!" And with that, she was back up the stairs and off to bed.

Sharpay grabbed her pajamas and toothbrush and walked into the bathroom. "Shar, you getting ready for bed already?" Taylor asked.

"Yeah, I am exhausted. Plus, I want lots of energy for a whole day of shopping tomorrow! Don't you?"

"Yeah, I guess so. That's pretty smart." Taylor paused. "Aren't you gonna wait for the boys to come home though?"

Sharpay's heart leapt. "Nah, I'll get to see them tomorrow at some point. Plus I am not here for them. I'm here for a long weekend with my girls," Sharpay replied.

Taylor raised her eyebrow at Sharpay. "Really," she started. "Because as I recall, when you told me on the phone you were coming, you said you couldn't wait to spend the night with Isaac," Taylor and Kelsi giggled.

Sharpay played it off. "You are silly. I'm excited to see him, but that's not why I came." Sharpay began to close the bathroom door. "And with that, good night!"

* * *

**9:00 AM, the next day**

Sharpay woke to Emma shaking her. "Shar, get up! Let's get ready to go shopping!"

Sharpay rubbed her eyes. "What time is it?"

"9AM," Emma responded. "Mrs. Seltyes is making pancakes, let's go eat!"

Sharpay burst out of bed and ran to the bathroom. She placed her hair in a messy bun on the top of her head and poofed her bangs a bit before running up stairs with Emma to breakfast.

Taylor and Kelsi were already sitting at the table when Emma and Sharpay came in. "Good morning girls," Mr. Seltyes said. "How many pancakes can you eat? Nine a piece?" He turned with a huge stack of pancakes on a plate.

Emma laughed. "Only probably two for me," she replied.

Sharpay looked at the pancakes and then felt her stomach growl. "Uh, I'll start with three and see where I go from there."

"Okay!" Mr. Seltyes responded. "Coming right up." He began to flip the pancakes onto plates.

Mrs. Seltyes hit Mr. Seltyes with her pot holder. "Oh, Harold," she said. "Quit flirting." All the girls giggled, but were interrupted by the feeling of another presence in the room.

"What is going on?" said a groggy voice.

All the girls swung around to see who had just entered the kitchen. Taylor spoke first. "Zach!" Sharpay looked back at her cup of juice at the table. "How are you?"

Zach finally rubbed the sleep from his eyes, and somewhat from his voice. "Hey! When did you guys get here?"

"We got here super late last night."

"Oh sweet," Zach said as he took a spot at the table. Then Sharpay looked out of the corner of her eye and saw Isaac coming into the kitchen.

"Hey, everyone," Isaac said. He looked around the table and saw Sharpay last. His eyes lit up. "Sharpay," he said. "Hey!"

"Hi, Isaac, how are you?" Sharpay responded quickly. She didn't want anyone to start teasing.

Isaac held out his arms as an offering for a hug. Sharpay stood and walked over to him. They hugged for what seemed like an eternity. Sharpay held on for a long time; after what she had been through with Troy it was nice to be this close to a boy who she wasn't mad at.

Mrs. Seltyes cleared her throat as a sign for the two of them to release the embrace. "So, girls, what is your plan for today?"

Kelsi spoke. "Mostly shopping," she said. "We want to go to the new store in the mall, Rue 21? It has really cute clothes. And reasonable prices too."

"Sounds fun. How long will you all be out 'til?"

Sharpay spoke as she returned to her seat, followed by Isaac who took the empty place right next to her. "Well, probably 'til pretty late. We wanna hit a movie tonight, probably around eight, and that won't be done 'til about 10:30. So late."

Mrs. Seltyes nodded. "Sounds good. We won't have dinner waiting for you then. Just come home whenever!"

Mr. Seltyes finally came over with the last plate of pancakes for the boys. "Okay, dig in!"


	14. Chapter 14

"There's Rue 21," Kelsi pointed down the mall a little ways. All the girls walked in and immediately were absorbed in all the cute clothes, shoes, and jewelry. They each went a different direction and didn't even care they weren't sticking together. Kelsi headed to rings, while Taylor and Emma went to different clothes racks. Sharpay walked past Kelsi on her way to the back of the store; to the shoe racks.

Sharpay leaned into a pair of shoes to see the size. She muttered the sizes as she searched for her's. "Six, six and a half, seven, seven and a half-" She rounded to the next isle. "Eight, eight and a half, aha! Nine," Sharpay's eyes landed on a pair of gold pumps with black bows. "Oh, so cute!" She grabbed the pair off the shelf and went to a bench to replace her flip-flops with the new pair.

"Cute," Kelsi said coming over to Sharpay. "Love the gold. Do you not have any gold shoes?"

Sharpay pulled the back over her right heel. "Nah, never have had an outfit to go with them. But I saw a cute dress in the window that I'll try on after this that matches perfectly. Did you see it?" Kelsie responded by shaking her head. "It was gold underneath with black lace over the top. It screams 'modern-day Audrey Hepburn.' Naturally I have to try it on!" Sharpay laughed as she fastened the second shoe. She stood up and walked over to the mirror. "Well, I like these a lot!"

Kelsi smiled. "Yeah they're cute. It's a little hard to picture the whole ensemble when you're wearing those though," Kelsi made a gesture at the basketball shorts hanging on Sharpay's body.

"Oh yeah," Sharpay tilted her head to the left, looking at the reflection of her shorts now instead of the shoes. "Probably should've tried on the dress first, and then put the shoes with it."

Kelsi smiled. "Probably." There was a momentary pause. "I bet Isaac will like them."

Sharpay's stomach knotted up. She wanted to have a fun day with the girls and get away from the boy drama for a while. But she knew that Kelsi was trying to boost her confidence so she went with the topic of conversation at hand. "Well maybe. Guess we'll have to see when we get back to their house." Sharpay looked at Kelsi in the mirror, and to her surprise caught Kelsi smiling. "What?" Sharpay let a smile return to Kelsi.

"Oh, Sharpay, Isaac likes you so much!" Kelsi laughed. "It's just so cute, and I wish you two would just talk about it openly."

"Kelsi, I'm just not looking for that right now. Maybe someday, but not right now." Sharpay smiled, taking a seat next to Kelsi to take the shoes off. "Anyway, it's kinda fun just beating around the bush. I don't want to ruin things by taking the next step. If that's what would happen."

"Well, I think you guys are just adorable," Kelsi responded. "Do you want me to grab that dress from the window and you can try it on with those shoes?"

Sharpay smiled. "Yes please."

* * *

"And he makes another shot!" Troy yelled from the three point line. "What's with your defense today?"

Chad was running after the ball. "I am exhausted! You would be too if you went to school all week, then worked, then decided to come play ball with your friend!" Chad tossed the ball to Troy. "Check it."

Troy grabbed the ball off the bounce and held it to the side, grabbing his heart. "Ahh, I'm crushed." He bounced the ball back to Chad. "I go to school!"

Chad laughed. "But no job—" with that Chad faked left and went around Troy's block, laying the ball up into the net for two points. "What's with _your _defense?"

Troy let the ball go out of bounds. "Okay, okay, timeout." Both boys walked over to the stands and sat down. Chad grabbed his water bottle and squirted a long stream of icy water into his mouth. "Dude," Troy said.

"What? I hate putting my mouth on it. It tastes like plastic," Chad said.

"You're such a whimp." Troy laughed and let his back lean onto the bench behind. He let out a long sigh.

"What, tired?" Chad provoked.

Troy looked at Chad. "Nah, just got a lot on my mind."

"Like what," Chad said, pouring more water into his mouth.

"Like, you know, a lot."

Chad laughed. "Haha, A LOT. As in a girl. Hmm. Let's see if we can guess which girl is about to have Troy Bolton's attention."

Troy leaned his arms onto his knees and clasped his hands together. "Sharpay," Troy said.

"WHAT?" Chad was shocked. "Dude, Sharpay? EVANS? What? When, how, why—," Chad held up his hands. "Most IMPORTANTLY why?"

Troy felt really stupid now. He wished he wasn't so easy to get information out of. "She's a lot different when you get to know her Chad. She's into a lot of the same stuff that we are into."

Chad shook his head. "Troy, she's always hated you, and you've always hated her. She's always hated everyone. How can that change?"

"I don't know. Does it look like I understand girls at all?" Troy spoke sharply.

"Now this is just wrong. Please change your mind on this one Troy. It's not like you're in too deep. It's not like you guys have kissed or anything right? Don't sweat it. It'll pass," Chad said the last part more to himself than to Troy. He grabbed the basketball and ran back to the hoop. "Alright, let's end this game!"

Troy's mind flashed back to that day outside the school. By his truck. When Sharpay came running after him. "She looked so good in that dress, her hair down, and the wind blowing it. She is beautiful," Troy thought. He closed his eyes for a moment and remembered how hard his heart was beating. He had asked Sharpay if she was cold, and she started to talk but Troy didn't hear.

"I did kiss her," Troy whispered as his eyes opened again.

"Dude, who are you talking to?" Chad asked, now standing with all of his weight on one leg, his arms stretched out to the side.

"I said, 'I did kiss Sharpay'," Troy looked at Chad.

Chad stared back at Troy, hard. "Wow."

Troy knew where this was going. "Chad, it was probably just the heat of the moment. You know I'd never go back on our promise. Look I still remember: 'I promise to check with Chad before I get involved with any girls.'" Troy stood up. "Brothers for life—"

Chad dropped the basketball to his side. Without saying a word, Chad walked out of the gym, leaving Troy to himself. Troy dropped his head. This was ruining everything. He needed to sort things out. He needed to talk to Sharpay. He needed to talk to Sharpay as soon as he could.


	15. Chapter 15

The girls waited for Taylor to unlock the car doors. "Taylor," Emma said, dragging out the 'r'. "Come on! It is freezing out here!"

Taylor was starting to giggle as she tried to get the key into the lock. "I know! My fingers are so cold they can't even twist the key!" Now she was giggling so hard, the girls knew nothing was going to get accomplished. Emma walked over to help Taylor when Taylor finally felt the key give to the turn. "Oh, here we go." She pressed unlock and all the girls climbed in.

"That was a great movie!" Sharpay said. "It makes me want to go to India."

"What was it called again?" Kelsi asked as her seatbelt clicked into place.

"'Eat. Pray. Love.' I think," Sharpay said. "I just love Julia Roberts. Classic."

Taylor put the car into reverse and backed out of the space. "What time is it, Em?"

Emma pushed the button on her cell phone. "10:28. We'd better get back to the Seltyes'!"

The girls finally pulled into the driveway. "Man, I'm tired," said Kelsi.

"Me too," said Taylor. "I'm going straight to bed!"

Sharpay and Emma looked at each other. "Guess we'll be up! Good thing we're in the same room," Sharpay laughed.

The girls went into the house and saw that only the kitchen light was on. Taylor and Kelsi went right down stairs. "Good night Em. Night Sharpay," Kelsi said.

"Night!" Both girls repeated in unison. The bedroom door shut and it was just Emma and Sharpay.

"So, what do you want to do? Are you tired at all?" Emma asked.

"Not really," Sharpay answered. "Let's go put our bags in the living room. I wanna show you what I bought!"

"Ooooh, me too. Good idea," Emma said. Both girls walked through the kitchen and around the entryway to the living room. Emma searched the dark wall for the light switch. "Found it!" Emma whispered as she flipped the light on.

Both girls jumped when the light filled the room and saw Zach sitting on the couch. "Hahahaha that was so freaking funny!" Zach grabbed his stomach and was rolling with laughter. "You should've seen your faces!"

Isaac came running down from his bedroom. "Zach, that's not funny! You're gonna wake up mom and dad! Then we can't have fun; mom will tell us to go to bed." Isaac glanced over at Sharpay, who was still trying to catch her breath.

"Zach, that scared me to death," Sharpay said. "Dang."

Zach continued to laugh. "Well, I apologize. Since you are up, you guys wanna play a game or something?"

Emma answered. "Or something. Yes, let's watch a movie!"

Isaac looked confused. "Didn't you guys just get back from a movie?"

Sharpay agreed. "Yeah, Em, let's do a game." She looked at Isaac. "You guys have a deck of cards?"

Isaac nodded. "Yeah down in the movie room. Come with me, I'll show ya."

"Okay," Sharpay followed Isaac, and then turned over her shoulder to speak to Zach and Emma. "Hey, you guys clear off that table and pop some popcorn or something. Then we can play up here." Emma and Zach nodded in response, and Sharpay continued downstairs.

Isaac was leaned down looking in the bottom drawer for some cards. Sharpay walked over and knelt down beside him. "Find any?"

"Not yet." Isaac shut the drawer and moved to the next. "So how was the movie?"

"Good," Sharpay answered. "Made me wanna be adventurous."

Isaac smiled. "Oh yeah? How so?"

"You know, travel the world. Do spontaneous things. Have fun. Live life," Sharpay sat next to where Isaac was bent down. "I'm tired of doing the same old stuff."

Isaac looked at Sharpay for a while, then decided to shut the drawer he was looking in. "Then let's do something spontaneous." He reached his hand down to Sharpay's level.

"What?" Sharpay asked.

"Come on," Isaac said. "Let's sneak out. Go on a walk."

Sharpay was shocked. "Isaac, we CANNOT sneak out! We will get caught!"

"And so what if we do? You won't get in trouble. I'll say I took you against your will. Even if you want to go." He smiled a half smile before speaking again. "Which I can see from your eyes that you do."

Sharpay looked into Isaac's eyes. "Promise?"

Isaac winked. "Promise."

Sharpay took a breath and grabbed Isaac's hand. Holding her hand he went over and unlocked the door. Then, just like that, the door was shut behind them and they took off running. Sharpay was giggling and Isaac laughed along too. "I can't believe I am doing this," Sharpay said as they came to a stop. "I NEVER do this kind of thing. It feels amazing."

"I knew you'd like it. I do it all the time," Isaac said.

"You should not be sneaking out all the time," Sharpay scolded, but in a nice way. She was so ready to pull out her full on flirting façade. "You get caught?"

Isaac laughed. "Sometimes. But whatever. Not that big of a deal."

They turned a corner and sat on a bench on the sidewalk. "Let's sit for a while," Sharpay said. She crossed her legs and patted the bench next to her. "Aren't Zach and Emma going to wonder where we went?"

"To be honest, they probably won't even mind being alone," Isaac said flatly.

"What do you mean?" Sharpay questioned. "You sound annoyed."

"Well, wouldn't any girl kill to have a moment alone with Zach?" Isaac looked over at Sharpay. They held eye contact until Isaac looked down at the ground.

Sharpay was burning inside. She wanted Isaac to hold her and talk to her all night. She felt so bold, brave and free. She felt she could say anything she wanted to.

Sharpay smiled. "Not any girl," she responded.

Isaac sighed. "Psht, come on. It's true."

Sharpay scooted closer to Isaac. She lifted her hand and gently placed it on Isaac's thigh. "No it's not." She looked at the side of Isaac's head until he turned to meet her eyes. "I'd rather be with you."

Isaac never broke contact. He was totally engaged in Sharpay's conversation now. "Sharpay, I love you."

Sharpay had tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry—I'm so happy right now," she whispered.

Isaac shifted his body to face Sharpay. He let his hands find her waist and he leaned in, closing his eyes. Sharpay leaned in, putting one hand on Isaac's shoulder and the other on the back of his head. Matching Isaac's motions she let her eyelids fall. Just as they closed completely, Sharpay's phone rang. She felt Isaac's grip loosen, but she didn't loosen her own. Isaac let out a sigh as she rested her forehead against his chin. "Are you gonna answer that?" Isaac whispered.

Sharpay took the weight of her head back into control. She reached into her sweatshirt pocket and pulled out her phone. Looking at the screen, she took a step back from Isaac. "Oh my gosh. Oh my GOSH," she repeated loudly. "Troy?"

Isaac looked over at the screen which displayed the name. He now let completely go of Sharpay and slid his hands into his pockets. "You can take that."

Sharpay hit cancel. "No, that's okay. We can always talk later." Sharpay noticed the hurt in Isaac's eyes. "Not that I want to anyway," she finished.

"We should get back," Isaac said, walking back towards the house. "It's getting really late."

Sharpay let her shoulders drop. "Yeah, okay." Sharpay reached for Isaac's hand, but he slid it tighter into his pocket. She read the sign, and put her hands into her sweatshirt.

"You like Troy. A lot," Isaac said after three minutes of torturous silence.

"I don't know," Sharpay said quietly. "It's complicated. He's kinda cute I guess."

Isaac shook his head. "Yeah, he's a great kid. Troy Bolton."

Sharpay realized she had just ruined something that could've been amazing for her. She really liked Isaac. He loved her. He was good for her; he respected every part of her. And she was still falling for Troy? _Sharpay Evans, you just screwed yourself over big time, _she thought.

_October 2, 2010_

_Well I have just messed up my life. I was about to start a relationship with Isaac Seltyes. We were on a walk and he was going to kiss me. Then Troy Bolton called me. Why on earth did I have to pull out my phone? I just want to through my phone off a bridge and die. This trip was supposed to be fun. I've ruined it for myself. But I learned an important lesson today. Most days I was content with being alone. But after watching __Eat. Pray. Love.__ today, I realize that even though I am content with being alone, I don't want to be lonely. It would be nice to experience this thing called love with someone that I know will love me back. Whatever love is._


	16. Chapter 16

Sharpay shut her journal and stared straight ahead. She didn't know what to do. She was tired of the dramatic situations she seemed to be getting into.

Emma came in and was surprised to see Sharpay sitting on the bed. "Shar, hey-," Emma started. "Zach and I waited for a long time but you never came, so we just played cards for a while."

"Yeah sorry about that-," Sharpay whispered. "Isaac and I had…well, a moment. Literally. A moment."

Emma's eyes went big. "A moment as in," she paused, waiting for a response. She got one.

"As in a moment, Emma," Sharpay snapped. "He was going to kiss me. Then my phone rang, and I tried to hold on to the moment but I think he felt awkward. I pulled out my phone, and wouldn't you guess it: Troy Bolton." Sharpay shook her head. "He immediately just shut down, like he was all jealous. I didn't even answer it. I wasn't going to. I probably wouldn't even if I was alone."

Emma sat down on her side of the bed. "So, Isaac likes you? That's great!"

Sharpay smiled a little, then stopped. "Yeah. He _did_. But Troy messed everything up. I do not understand at all. I don't feel like this is me at all. I used to be the anti-boy girl. I was too strong for this! I feel confident in everything else. Except when it comes to relationships." Sharpay put her hair into a sloppy bun on the top of her head and leaned back to the headboard, then looked over at Emma. "How does that work?"

Emma laughed softly. "I don't know. I'm really terrible with advice."

A knock came at the door. Sharpay groaned, "Nooooo! If this is Taylor, I am going to flip out." She pulled her weight out of the bed and trudged over to the door. She pulled it open with another moan. It was not Taylor.

"Oh," Sharpay exclaimed. "Hey." She looked back at Emma with the "big awkward eyes" look. "Emma, I think I'll take that water now."

Emma knew exactly what that meant. "Alright. I'll see if I can find some," she said as she walked out.

Sharpay stepped out of the doorway. "Come in," she said to the guest at their bedroom door.

Isaac stepped into the bedroom. "Thanks." He looked at the blanket crumpled up on the bed. "Is that yours or Emma's blanket?"

Sharpay looked at the bed. "The pink Zebra one? Definitely mine. Big zebra fan." She walked over and sat on the bed, crossing her legs like a first grader. Isaac followed and sat at the foot. "What's up?"

Isaac rubbed his hands together. "Well," he started. Sharpay's phone interrupted again. She and Isaac casually looked at the screen: Troy Bolton. "Again," he said quietly.

Sharpay reached to hit cancel, but Isaac grabbed her phone and beat her to it. "I'm sorry," he said. "I just have to-," he looked at Sharpay and locked into her eyes. He tossed her phone to the other side of the bed and crawled over to her. Without giving her a chance to think, Isaac pulled her face in with one hand while the other pulled her spine in. He traced her lips with his tongue; then separated from her just enough to see her full face. Sharpay didn't move anything but her eyes. She looked at Isaac like he was a movie star. She was stunned he had done that, after he just acted like a jealous baby outside. But she didn't care. She wanted more.

Isaac clued in when Sharpay shut her eyes again. He tilted her chin to the left and let their lips meet. Sharpay finally broke her frozen pose and slowly stroked Isaac's face. She lifted her torso from the knees and sat over Isaac's lap. Isaac grabbed her legs and stood, carrying her to the wall and letting her go. He pressed her against the wall with his chest touching hers. Sharpay pulled away and removed her hair from the messy bun, letting her curls fall from the top of her head. His right hand searched for her lower back while he supported his weight against the wall with his left. Their lips moved so perfectly together, like every breath was planned. Isaac felt Sharpay's lips move upward into a smile. He moved his hand to her smile and rubbed his thumb along the lower lip. She opened her mouth and Isaac seized the opportunity. He let his tongue enter lightly and passionately. Sharpay put both hands around Isaac's neck and let their tongues work together.

Isaac finally moved his weight back to his feet. They kissed a few more times, each one begging for another. Finally Isaac and Sharpay looked at each other. Sharpay smiled, and Isaac smiled back.

"I just had to do that," Isaac whispered.

Sharpay smiled a half smile. "I think I agree."

Isaac reached down and found Sharpay's hands. He slipped his fingers in between hers. "I appreciate you. I appreciate who you are. You are beautiful." He got a sly look on his face. "Did Troy ever tell you that?"

Sharpay snapped the romantic glaze off her face. "What? Why are you talking about Troy?"

Isaac stepped back. "He is not right for you Sharpay," he said. "Troy is only looking for the outside beauty. He doesn't see you for you. You intimidate him."

Sharpay didn't know how to react. "Why did you have to bring Troy? And how do you know what Troy wants. If he's just looking for 'outside beauty', he wouldn't call. He would text." Sharpay let her eyebrow rise like it always did.

"I want to be the one you choose, Sharpay." He stared her down. "I want to be the one." He looked at the blanket on the bed. "I know a lot about you Sharpay. I know you aren't this glitzy girl you showed up here as. That's the girl Troy wants, so that's who you've become. I know you like fighting movies. I know you listen to Taylor Swift because she makes you mad, and you love to criticize the music. I know you like zebra print because zebras are black and white. You are very black and white Sharpay Evans." Sharpay was shocked at all he knew about her. She hadn't told him any of those things. "And I want you to see me as more than the friend from last summer." He kissed her forehead and walked to the door. As he turned the doorknob he swung around and gave one last look. "Don't choose Troy, Sharpay," Isaac said. "Choose me."

Sharpay turned around, rubbing her temples. She found her phone, and saw the notice to call the voicemail. Her hands were too shaky to hold the phone. She put it on speaker and set it on the dresser. "_You have one unheard message. First unheard message: 'Hey, Sharpay. It's Troy. Listen, I know you are in Santa Fe with Isaac. But before anything happens with….Isaac, I want you to know that I…uh….I did kiss you on purpose. And not just from the heat of the moment. I really like you and—I know this is not something you want to hear on a message, but you're ignoring my calls and I just want to hear your voice. And I want you to hear my voice while I say that, so there it is. Call me back. And don't let Isaac talk you into anything. Come on. I'll try to text ya.'_

Sharpay squinted her eyes shut. She did not need this right now. She pressed end.

Isaac was listening right outside the door. He leaned his head back, listening to the message from Troy. After the recording had ended, Isaac felt his eyes get watery. "She's gonna choose Troy." Isaac walked up the stairs and saw Emma sitting on the couch. "Hey, Emma," he said.

"Hey," Emma responded. "Everything okay?"

Isaac laughed a little. "Nah, but it will be after some time passes." Isaac paused. "And after I do something." He looked at Emma. "You have Troy Bolton's number?"

Emma pulled out her phone. "Yeah, actually. Here." She turned the screen to Isaac.

"Thanks. Night." He said. He slumped into his bedroom. Falling frontwards on his bed he put his pillow under his chest. Pulling out his phone, he typed a message to Troy: _No worries. She'll choose you._ _–Isaac_


	17. Chapter 17

Troy lay in his bed, thumbing through his yearbook. He smiled as the pictures brought back memories of little moments. Little moments that seemed to mean nothing at the time, yet played a huge part in where he was in life. He turned to the basketball page and laughed as he looked at pictures of him, Chad and Zeke. He flipped the page again and took a deep breath as he took it all in. He read the title of the page: _Music Is Life_. Right there, dead center of the page was a picture of Sharpay at one of the rehearsals. She was posing for the camera, making a silly face. Troy studied the picture, memorizing the lines of her face and the way her hair fell. He looked at her eyes and smile over and over again.

"Troy?" his dad said as he opened Troy's door. Troy immediately turned the page back to basketball. "Ah, remembering the glory days, huh?" Troy's dad teased.

Troy smiled. "Yeah, and when Chad and I were talking."

Mr. Bolton put his hands up. "Hey, that's not my area. That's too kid-ish for me."

Troy rolled his eyes. "Yeah I guess so."

"Oh yeah, that's why I came in here. Dinner," he said before turning and walking out.

Troy flipped the page again, looking at Sharpay's photo. He checked his phone to see if Sharpay had called, or even texted. No, but one from an unknown number was on the screen. Confused, Troy sat back down on his bed. He read the text from Isaac: _No worries. She'll choose you._ Troy just held the phone, staring through it as his thoughts raced. "What? What does that even mean? Obviously it's about Sharpay, but how does he even know that's on my brain? Maybe he heard the message, how would he hear the message?"

"Troy! DINNER!" This time it was his mom yelling so he knew it was serious. He put the phone in his pocket and walked into the parlor.

"Hey, I'm not very hungry," Troy said distractedly. "Can I just have some water and go back to my room?"

Troy's mom looked concerned. "Do you feel sick? Have you been around sick people lately? Where is the thermometer?"

Troy's dad rolled his eyes. "Dear, calm down. The boy's not hungry. Now, the reason needs to be solved. Is it…."

Troy tried to stop the conversation. "I'm just not hungry. I've got a lot to do and I'm nervous about the deadlines."

Mr. Bolton wouldn't let it die. "There's a girl. That has got to be it," he looked over at Mrs. Bolton who was pursing her lips and giving the 'DROP IT' look. "Well, am I wrong?" he said, looking back at Troy.

Troy sighed. "That's part of it. I just need some time to think okay?" he looked at both parents, and rolled his eyes. "Okay, I'll be in my room."

Troy walked back down the hall and slowly shut the door. He reached into his pocket to grab the phone. He opened Isaac's message again and reread it. After the seventh time of rereading, he had let his anger get the better of him, and used the anger in the decision to respond.

Troy: _Oh, okay. Cause I was so worried that she'd pick you._

Isaac: _Hey, I was just letting you know. There is no need to worry, and to call her 24/7 bro._

Troy gasped. "Seriously?" He typed quick: _I don't think you need to be involved at all….bro. I think she can talk for herself. _

Isaac: _No need to freak out. And BTW, your message came a little too late. She already, how'd you say it, had stuff happen with "Isaac". We had some pretty intense moments together. Stuff you'll never have happen, because you're too absorbed with yourself. So good luck when she comes back and needs attention from you like I gave her. Cause you won't be able to deliver._

Troy was enraged, and had so many questions for Sharpay. He was so done with this kid: _I'm not going to concern myself with you. This is stupid._

Troy felt sweat beading up on his forehead. He knew what Sharpay's limits were, and didn't think Isaac would make stuff up, knowing he would be talking to Sharpay as soon as she got back to Albuquerque.

Troy tried calling Sharpay again. It rang once and went to voicemail. He hung up. He didn't want to prove Isaac right, but he also wanted to talk to Sharpay. Troy threw his phone off his bed to the floor lining the bookshelf. "What is happening," Troy kept repeating to himself. "This is not who I am. I never have to fight this hard. Is it really worth it?" As soon as the thought entered it was covered up by the memory of kissing Sharpay and holding her body as it trembled from the brisk wind.

Troy's thoughts slowly broke as the vibration of his phone became more obvious. He leaned over the side of the bed to reach the vibrating object. He couldn't believe his eyes when he saw the name: Sharpay Evans. He swallowed hard, and hit the green button on the phone. "Sharpay?"

"Hey Troy. I'll let you talk first, but I have a lot to say. This is going to be a long conversation."

Troy smiled and let his eyes fall shut. "Finally," He thought. "Well I'm up for it if you are."

He heard Sharpay let out a light laugh. "Well then, let the games begin."


	18. Chapter 18

Isaac walked back downstairs to talk to see if Sharpay was still up. He reached the bottom of the basement stairs, turned the corner, and saw Emma sitting outside the bedroom door. "Hey," said Isaac, a little surprised. "Why aren't you in bed? It's like 2am!"

Emma laughed a little. "Yeah I know. I'm exhausted. But Sharpay is on the phone with, uh," she paused. "With Troy. So I'm trying to give her some space and alone time."

Isaac scoffed. "Really? That is not okay. You look like your about to die from sleep deprivation!"

Emma shrugged. "Not a lot I can do about it."

Isaac held his hand out to Emma. "Come on, I'll let you sleep in my bed." Emma gave Isaac a skeptical look. He laughed, letting his hand fall back to his side. "No, I won't stay in the bed too. I'll sleep on the couch or the floor or something."

Emma, still a little unsure, responded. "Well, my pajamas are still in there," she made a gesture to the door.

"So, just walk in there and get them. It's not fair that she gets to basically kick you out."

Emma shrugged. "It makes me uncomfortable. Plus, I don't particularly want to hear what she is saying to Troy." She sighed.

Isaac squinted in inquiry. "What? Why?" Emma looked down at her hands, and Isaac shook his head in disbelief. "You like Troy too, don't you? What does that kid have that makes him get all these girls?"

"No, no, I don't like Troy, I just don't get how Sharpay gets all the guys. I mean, she has the two of you fighting over her right now. How does she do it?" Emma looked at Isaac. "Anyway it's a private conversation…that I'm sure I'll hear all about it tomorrow in the car."

Isaac continued to look at Emma. He had a lot of thoughts spinning through his head. He stood up and walked to the door. He looked back at Emma, "I am done fighting for Sharpay." He then opened the door.

Sharpay looked up at who was coming in. Her eyes got big. "Hey, hold on a sec," she said. She moved the phone down to her stomach. "What are you doing here?"

Isaac shook his head. "I just wanted to let you know that Emma is sleeping in my room tonight. So continue to take your time with Troy." Without turning to see her reaction, Isaac shut the door. "Come on Emma. Let's get you to bed."

"But my clothes—," Emma started.

"You can borrow some basketball shorts of mine, and a shirt. Don't worry." Isaac helped Emma up, and slid his fingers in between hers. "You deserve a better friend." They walked up the stairs, hand in hand.

Sharpay slowly put the phone back up to her ear. "Hey, sorry about that. I don't really have anything else to say," she said absentmindedly.

"Well, I'm glad that you finally called back, Sharpay. I just want you to know that I'm serious about this. I've never felt like this about anyone before," Troy said.

Sharpay smiled, then let it fade away as she thought of Isaac with Emma. "I'm glad I called too. It was nice to finally have you be honest with me."

Troy sighed. "Sharpay, are you okay?"

Sharpay returned the sigh. "Yeah, I'm just really tired I guess. This is a lot to take in. After all, you are Troy Bolton."

Troy laughed. "I love you, Sharpay." He waited for a response, but didn't get one. "When do you get back?"

"Tomorrow," Sharpay replied. She felt bad, but she just couldn't say 'I love you' to Troy yet. She was still weighing everything from earlier.

"Can I pick you up when you get home?" asked Troy.

Sharpay let her eyes fall shut and smiled. "Yeah, for sure. I'll text you when we get to Taylor's house?"

"Okay. Hey, thanks Sharpay. I'll see you tomorrow," Troy said.

"You're welcome, see you tomorrow." Sharpay waited for Troy to hang up first. She set her phone down on her bed, and let her thoughts wander openly through her head. Finally her brain got stuck on the fact that Emma and Isaac were upstairs together.

Sharpay slid off the bed, then quietly and slowly headed upstairs.

Isaac opened the bedroom door and let Emma enter first. "Let me get you some clothes." He went to his dresser and pulled out some basketball shorts, and an old team shirt with his last name on the back. "These work?"

Emma smiled. "Yeah, those are great. Where can I change?"

Isaac pointed around the corner. "The first door on the left is the bathroom."

"Thanks," Emma said.

Isaac sat down on the foot of his bed, contemplating where he was going to sleep. He decided he'd better go to the couch. He was grabbing an extra blanket out of the closet when Emma came back in. "Hey, those good?" Isaac said, turning around.

"They're good." Emma's eyes fell to the blanket. "Are you sure you don't want the bed? I can take the blanket and go to the couch."

Isaac laughed. "No, really, it's totally fine. I will sleep on the couch: I get the bed every night, so I can go a night without," he winked.

Emma walked over to the bed and pulled open the sheets. "Well, actually, if you don't mind," Emma started as she got into the bed, "I wouldn't object to you sleeping in the bed." Isaac raised his eyebrows at Emma and Emma laughed softly. "I'm not implying anything. I'd just rather not be alone."

Isaac looked at Emma's face and let the right corner of his lips lift upward. "I'm okay with that." He slid into the sheets and scooted close to Emma. He hesitated, but then put his arm around Emma's waist. Emma slipped her fingers between Isaac's. "Thank you," Emma whispered.

"You're welcome," Isaac said. He let his eyelids close, and he and Emma fell asleep in minutes.

Sharpay had her ear pressed to the door, listening to everything. She was instantly filled with jealousy. Her whole body wanted to burst through that door and break up this little "romance" scene between Emma, her best friend, and the boy who not three hours ago kissed her like tomorrow was the end of civilization. Instead, she meandered back downstairs to the bedroom and plopped onto the bed, on top of the covers, having one last thought before letting her body fall into a deep sleep: "I guess I'm dating Troy Bolton."


End file.
